Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-26
Daily xsuafbff journal.
avsvs1a, MONDAY, DECEMBER y. 1887.
war Aspects in Europe

war Aspects in Europe
y.poleon's reputed prophecy that Eu-
- 30. destined to become all Cossack
=, ali Republican has not been realized
Rut IL {. not true that Russia Is more Of a
,,.,ace to Europe today than she was six
.v-fxo years ago, when she contributed 50
powerfully to the Punishment OF the great
Corsican adyenturer TO st. Helena she u
:, The hest sufficiently feared by the other
~,eat powers Of the North to canze them
70 cooperate in such an alliance az they
think will be most effective IN barring her
.uo,es.iye advance Southwark. and pre-
vsnfinober oyer-shadoWing preponderanee
an the European continent, particularly IN
.be affairs Of the East. That Austria
should be one Of the governments in the
coordination to resist the dangerous de-
signs Of retrograde despotism seems
,atire on centuries Of European history,
when the Hapsburgs were stronger clogs
10 the progress Of nations than the tzafs
Of the recent decades. The union Of Ger
manv with Anstria-Hungary Il anomalous
In view Of the sharp antagonism between
them In year, not remote, yet their com
mon interest against Russia is obvious
enough. and their present alliance Ia logi-
cal and consistent. Whether war Is immi-
ncnt. soon to burst out in one Of the most ter
ribIe struggles Of modern times, depends
largely on the purposes and Wills OF two
men. the Russian Emperor and the German
Chancellor. "A the former has somewhat
A yaeillating character, Ia more or iess
controlled by moods, or the strongest Wills
that happen to be uppcrmost in Russian
state counscs, rather than by the cool
decisions Of a commanding intellect, and
A. Bismarck has in the highest degree the
faculty Of masking his own designs, 1t ia
not wise to indulge In dogmatic specula-
tions a. to whether terrible war Ia near or
peace Ia to be maintained. But there are
certainly strong reasons for the pre-
sumption that Bismarck will do his utmost
to prevent war and to serve the interest.
OF Germany and her allies by diplomacy
and mutual good understanding. Possibly
he might deem 1t better for the future OF
Germany and Austria-IIungary to strike
Russia now with the quick, terrible blows
OF their splendid armies, and 40 cripple
the Northern colossus that she would
cease to be a menace TO her neighbors.
But the one powerful fact that tends to
restrain the great chancellor from attempt
ing this bloody method OF solving the
problem, Ia France. Could Germany With
safety be locked with Austria-lIun-
gary in death grapple with Russia,
with the French armies only a
few days distance from Berlin? Russia
In arms against the two German empires,
could France he restrained? The wisest OF
the French Republican statesmen might
wish to keep out Of the contest. But there
would be the French desires to avenge
her wrongs and to regain Alsace and
Lorraine, which the Bourbon and the
Napolconistic partisans would seek to
infame for dynastic reasons. Would not
the Republicans of France have to yield
to the tremendous force Of French ami
Of people. Germany and Austria-fIun-
gary si,000,000 And the 3s,000,000 OF
France to Russian numbers, and the issue
would be between l22 900, 900 and s., 000,-
900. In facilities Of rapiy moving and
concentrating their available armies, the
two German empires would have decidedly
the advantage. Russia and France have
enormous national debts Germany and
Austria Hungary, are far less financially
involved than her contingent foes. But
do national debts prevent wars? France
even with her enormous indebtedness is
still richer than Germany and Bismarck
does not want war wit, Russia, with
France liable to strike his country on The
Rhine. Even his agreement with Italy
Is not enough to quiet his anxiety as to
France in case of war with Russia Italy
Is beyond the Alps, and many Italians
h"f' h't i'iSbitFu tNdi llitil lFttubin
from the dcspotism of the Austrian Haps-
bnrgs was partly won by French blood
and treasure.
The two German Powers In grapple
with Russia for ascendency in Eastern
Europe, how could England keep out Of
the contestg The Germans know full
well that England cannot afford to have
Russia grow stronger. Therefore English
diplomacy and something more would be
against Russia IN case of war with the
German empires. But even with this
English factor in the problem, 1t is fair to
presume that Bismarck does not wish to
grapple with the Car. Reviewed from
the outside, balancing cause and effects.
and probabilities, the chances of peace
seem stronger than those OF grim and ter
riblc war.